Thursday, March 27, 2014

Now with the whole contouring craze it finally considered as one of the make up basics, but I feel it has been underrated for a long time.

They can make such a big difference in your finished make up while being so subtle.
You shouldn't really be able to see your highlighter :-)
It's not supposed to be seen in itself, it's only on your face to make the light that hits you bounce off it, creating more dimension.
If you can see your highlighter, you've probably applied too much or picked the wrong shade :-)

I have so many highlighters just because I love them so much!
My favourite texture is cream. It is easier to control than liquid, and it blends into the skin better than powder.
My favourite shade is champagne, not too frosty cold and not too warm, to look as natural and as skin-like as possible.

On a daily basis, I like to apply it on the top of my cheekbones and in the inner corner of my eyes.
When I'm doing a full face I also highlight my browbone, down my nose, and my Cupid's bow.

Here I'm excited to will tell you which are my favourite highlighters!

My favourite powder highlighter is Mac Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish.
This is one of the most popular highlighters, every day on Instagram I see many girls include it in their #faceoftheday picture.
It is a true champagne colour and it is SO beautiful. When the light hits it, it sculpts your face like only Michelangelo knows whats we're talking about.

I apply it with my beloved Mac 184 brush - a flat fan-shaped duo-fibre brush made for featherlight application.
Again, this is a tool I feel is so underrated. I use it to layer my highlighter where I want it to be more intense, and then I dust what's left on the brush down my cheeks for an overall satin finish.

Seriously, Mac Soft and Gentle + Mac 184 brush is just the perfection of highlighting.

As I mentioned many times before, I prefer not to take Soft and Gentle with me in my bag when I'm going out or when I'm travelling. I feel it is too fragile and a little on the bulky side anyway.
So my favourite highlighter for travelling is L'Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in 002 Hourglass Beige (called 888 Iced Latte in the US).
It is small and compact and pretty much unbreakable. Being an eyeshadow, it is a lot more pigmented than a regular highlighter, but using a light application brush like Mac 184 still allows me to dose and diffuse the right amount of product.

My favourite cream highlighter is Mac Hush Cream Color Base.
It is sheer but very luminous and light reflecting.
I like to apply it with my foundation brush Real Techniques stippling brush to blend it into my foundation and into my skin for the most real-skin-like finish.

And my favourite liquid highlighter is Inglot AMC (Anvanced Makeup Components) Face and Body Illuminator in shade 63.
This is the sheerest one out of these I have talked about.
I apply this too with my foundation brush, and before I discovered my holy grail life-changing L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation, I would mix it with my foundation for an overall glowy finish.

Powder highlighters are usually more dramatic because they will sit more on top of the skin, so I'm more likely to reach for Mac Soft and Gentle for a night look, while I will pick up the Inglot Illuminator during the day.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Nars Orgasm blush is undoubtedly one of the the most iconic make up products of all time!
Since Francois Nars created it - and named it haha - in 1999 it's been the brand's top-selling product and a multiple award winner.

It is a powder blush and is a peachy pink with golden shimmer that really looks beautiful on everybody and on every skin tone.
It gives a flush of colour to fair complexions and a warm glow to darker complexions.Tip: also apply it with a blending brush on the outer part of the crease of your eye ;-)

Following the huge success of the blush, Nars has developed an entire Orgasm and Super Orgasm collection, including highlighters, lipglosses and nail polishes.

Nars Orgasm Multiple - a multi-purpose cream stick for cheeks, lips and eyes - is more pink than the blush.
I pat it on my cheeks and then, as suggested, I blend it with my fingers to achieve a seamless finish.

Nars Orgasm Illuminator - a liquid highlighter - is more golden.
Like all liquid highlighters, it can be used alone or mixed with foundation. It is very luminous and gives the most radiant and flattering glow.

Out of the three, my favourite is the Multiple, because it is such a unique product and shade! :-)
Too bad it is also the most expensive!! :-(((

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

These are the 5 Rock Attraction blushes I got from the new Kiko Boulevard Rock collection.

There's also a sixth blush in the collection - 06 Visionary Sienna - but I didn't purchase it because it showed up as a burnt copper shade on my skin, which will look perfect on medium to dark skin tones but was not a good match for mine.

All 6 blushes are powder blushes and have the most beautiful and flattering subtly satin finish.

Kiko blush 01 Pearly Rock

01 Pearly Rock isn't really a blush, it's a highlighter. Even on the palest skin it wouldn't work as a blush.

It is a white with a pink opalescence to it - like I would describe Nars Albatross highlighter as a white with a gold opalescence to it.

So to me Pearly Rock is the pink version of Nars Albatross.

Kiko blush 02 Guitar Rose

02 Guitar Rose is a true Barbie pink.

This shade is genius, it's the pink that makes you happy just looking at it and that every girl wants to have in her collection! :-)

Just a touch of this blush on your cheeks will give you the prettiest spring glow!

If you would like to see a fun spring look I have created using another blush in a similar pink shade, you can go to My Mardi Gras make up ^_^

Kiko blush 03 Crossroad Pink

03 Crossroad Pink is a bright strawberry pink.

The satin finish will tone down the pigmentation once applied, but fairer skin tones should use their brush very lightly.

Kiko blush 04 Pop Apricot

I love 04 Pop Apricot! Even if I hadn't known its name, I would have instinctively described it as a neon apricot!

I think this is a totally unique shade. It reminds me of Topshop Head Over Heels - a cream blush -, but other than that I don't remember seeing anything like this before, so great job Kiko for creating it!!

05 Sound Coral is really a golden peach. I don't see any red in it to fall into the coral color category.
While it might not be the most breakthrough shade, it's surely the most versatile and easy to wear for every skin tone.

I really REALLY love these blushes, I think these are some of the top products Kiko has ever released.

Girls which blushes have you picked up from this collection and which one is your favourite??

If you want to see more of the biggest make up trend for this spring and summer - PURPLE, YAY!!! - go check out the ultimate purple make up product, Mac Heroine lipstick , and let me know what you think of it!!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Hahahaha girls I just came up with this, I'm actually laughing as I'm typing!!!

The other day I did The Princess Tag about my favourite high-end / luxury products here The Princess Tag, and now I really want to do its drugstore / high-street version!

Ok all kinds of tags about drugstore products have been going around for ever, but instead of searching for past tags I just thought I'd create my own, The Drugstore Diva!!! Should I trade-mark it??? hahaha :-D

And hey, no princess ain't got nothin on The Drugstore Diva hahahaha!!!! :-D

So yeah, same categories, let's get back into it!!

FOUNDATION

My one and only L'Oreal Lumi Magique - True Match Lumi in the US. I use it in the shade W3/D3 Gold Linen, both a little darker and more yellow-toned than my natural skin, which gives me exactly the final result I'm going for.

I fake tan my face all the time anyway - except for when I am sick in bed with flu for a week or something! -, and Gold Linen perfectly matches my fake tanned skin.

And it's not a drugstore product, but I my holy grail self tanner is Dior Bronze Auto-Bronzant in Natural Glow.

First one ever tried years ago, loved it, never wished to look for alternatives.

CONCEALER

I really like the Garnier BB Cream Eye Roll On. And please note that for my undereye area I am so picky that this is the ONLY drugstore concealer I have.

POWDER

Like I already said in the Princess Tag, I never powder my face.

I really don't need it because I have dry skin, and I don't like how it looks on me anyway.

BRONZER

Summer Eclipse Bronzing and Shimmery Powder in shade Moonlight / Light Bronzer. I just really love this shade.
And I don't know about the other shades because I haven't tried them, but this one is sure not shimmery at all. Matter of fact, I also use it for contouring, and it gives my skin the most beautiful satin finish.
I was wearing it in this look Mac All Fired Up lipstick

BLUSH

Kiko blushes in the baked formula, because I love my cheeks to have a satin finish.
My all-time favourite is beautiful Celebrity Rose, a mauvy pink with golden veins *_*
It is unfortunately a limited edition from an old collection :'-(

Kiko Colour Sphere eyeshadows, a beautiful line of eyeshadows in the baked formula.
Shade 26 - shimmering grey infused with multicolour microglitter - was my first purchase ever from Kiko many years ago, and is still to this day my all-time favourite eyeshadow <3

Kiko Color Sphere Eyeshadow 26

Their baked eyeshadow quads, which they release / repromote from time to time, are my second top favourite eyeshadows.
My favourite quad is Unexpected Rosy Taupe eyeshadow palette.
This is like my guardian angel, it is with me in my handbag AT ALL TIMES. Even when I'm not wearing any make up at all, or when I am wearing totally different shades, I will take this quad with me as mirror.It is currently in store in the Bad Girl collection and it's called Color Fever eyeshadow palette 100.

EYELINEREssence I Love Rock Gloss eye pencil. It is a very intense black, very pigmented, almost too creamy, it smudges very easily, and easily bleeds from the waterline - and it is ridiculously inexpensive.

Now for me, all of this gives me EXACTLY the look I'm going for, because I love the kind of smudgy smokey eyes like Kate Moss or Brigitte Bardot.
But for the same exact reasons, this might not be the right product for everyone.

MASCARA

All L'Oreal mascaras. My very first mascara was their Voluminous X4 :-) <3
Then over the years I must have tried all of them. You name it, I have it / have had it.

Ok, all except one, and as irrational as it sounds it must have been because I don't like the celebrity who was the first "face" of that mascara.
So when L'Oreal ads offered me the opportunity to achieve even only the look of her lashes I was like "Hmm, no thanks" hahahaha!!!! ^_^

And a special mention goes to Multi Action mascara from Essence.
It was given to me as a gift with a purchase, and I really had no expectations when even the actual retail price is around 3 euros, so I left it in the back of my drawer for a while.
Then one day I tried it and :-OOOOO Really black, volumizing, it separates your lashes, the brush has the perfect size to fit both your upper and lower lashes, honestly just WOW!!
An amazingly performing ridiculously inexpensive product, I don't know how Essence did it!!!

LIPSTICK

I really really had to think a lot about this one. I mean, looking for your favourite lipstick in a drugstore is worse than looking for a needle in a haystack!!
But in the end I made my decision, and I choose 2 lipsticks.
This choice is based both on the product AND on the surprise factor of the brand, because they're two small little known brands, where you wouldn't really expect to find an all-time favourite product.

So the first is a lipstick called Belle, from the Mirror Shine line of brand 17 or SEVENTEEN, available in Boots, UK.
It is a gorgeous intense dusty pink, but the intensity of the colour is toned down by the sheer and glossy formula. Result: your lips but juicier and poutier.
So GORGEOUS, such a great find! :-D

The other one is lipstick R05 from Flormar, from their Revolution Lipstick line.
This is an intense deep pink, very pigmented, very opaque, with an almost matte finish.
I would describe it like - Brigitte Bardot and Lana Del Rey wear more apricot tones, but if they wore pink, they would wear this pink.

LIP LINER
I don't use lip pencils that often, unless there's a specific look I am going for, or unless I am wearing a very opaque matte lipstick and the lip contour has to be flawless.
My favourite lip pencils are by Catrice, shades 030 Lost In The Rose Wood (intense but very natural dusty pink) and 010 Choc'aholic (pale beige).
See in this look what I mean when I put a lipliner on hahaha Mac Reflects Antique Gold - New Year's Eve

LIPGLOSS

L'Oreal Glam Shine line. I love their formula that feels thick and soft.

BROW PRODUCT

Like I said in the Princess Tag, I'm not a big fan of brows. I would say I only fill them in and reshape them a little when I'm creating a dramatic-borderlining-theatrical look like in Neon Glam make up look, hahaha if you know what I mean!
And in that look I used my favourite eyebrow product I was going to mention: Collection (formerly Collection 2000) Eyebrow Definer in shade 3 Blonde, very cold and ashy, even with a touch of olive.

NAIL POLISH

Essie. They're creamy, super shiny and crazy longlasting.
Their pastels are divine, they make you happy just by looking at them!!

And OPI. Top quality too, and they have an incredible selection of reds.
My favourite shades are Lincoln Park After Dark (blackened plum, you can see it here Plum nail polishes) and Big Hair Big Nails (a sorbet watermelon red)

So ladies, this was my Drugstore Diva tag! :-D
And now I am going to tag my lovely girls

Saturday, March 8, 2014

This tag is about our favourite high-end / luxury products.
I have been seeing it going around on YouTube for a while and decided I'd join in!

So here are all the categories:

FOUNDATION
If you read my blog you already know that there is just one and only foundation I use, and it's L'Oreal Lumi Magique - True Match Lumi in the US-,a drugstore product.
I like it to the point of almost feeling like it was custom made for me and my skin, and since I first tried it 2 years ago I have never touched another foundation again.

That said, there's a few high-end foundations I have been wanting to try, so I will include these in this category as a sort of wish-list.

Nars Sheer Glow

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk

If you use or have tried these foundations, can you please give me your opinions or recommendations in a comment? :-*

CONCEALERClinique Line Smoothing concealer. I like it because it is very creamy and doesn't dry my undereye area, and gives me a very natural but still brightening finish.
If you have oily skin, you might want to try it first to make sure it suits your skin type.

POWDER
I NEVER use powder to set my foundation, nor for touch ups during the day.
First of all, I just don't need it because my skin is dry. I think it looks really cakey with powder, which I HATE.
Second, I like my skin to look dewy and I would even say - not oily, but shiny :-)

What I do if I want to freshen up - literally - my make up is spray my Caudalie Beauty Elixir, a very luxurious-feeling toning mist of essential oils like orange, rosemary, mint, rose and grape, all of plant origin.
It is formulated without parabens, mineral oils or animal ingredients.
It contains alcohol so make sure you close your eyes when you spray it! :-) And shake it before use.

But there is a powder in my luxury products wish-list: one of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. I have heard such amazing reviews about them that I really really would love to try them.

BRONZER
I am choosing this both for the product and the packaging: Nars Laguna bronzer.
I have it as part of the limited edition Blush/Bronzer Trio from 2011, which unites three iconic Nars products: Orgasm blush, Albatross highlighter and Laguna bronzer.
The trio comes in a small (a little bigger than the palm of your hand) sturdy zip-up case with a big mirror in it, so in theory it has all the elements to be perfect when you are on the go or travelling.

Nars Blush/Bronzer Trio

All the elements except one: the price tag.
So you'd be crazy if you thought that I just carry it around carelessly everywhere I go.
I only save it for the most special occasions, and I have to admit, I feel at my most luxurious when I pull it out of my bag, unzip it, and touch up my Orgasm blush while looking into the big mirror hahaha!!!! :-D

EYESHADOWDior 5 Colour Eyeshadow palettes. They're so buttery and pigmented, and over the years they have come up with some colour combinations to die for.
On top of this, in my opinion you really can't beat Dior packaging.

EYELINER
I have never had the chance to try them yet, but the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils are on top of my wish-list.

MASCARADior Diorshow Black Out.
And Helena Rubinstein Spider Eyes mascara base as the base I just can't do without.

LIPSTICKYSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks. They feel so smooth and creamy, and the packaging is deliriously luxurious.
The very first feeling I had about these is that they were so creamy that they almost didn't sit right on the lips, I don't know if anybody else experienced this. But I have then grown into liking them :-)
I am wearing them in different shades in these looksMy Mardi Gras make upMac Reflects Antique Gold - New Year's EveNeon Glam make up look

YSL Rouge Volupte 01 Nude Beige

LIP LINEREstee Lauder lip pencil in Spice. It is a dark matte browny pink and it was one of the key products for this look The 90s - Supermodels and Madonna inspired, where I wore it all over my lips as a lipstick too.

LIPGLOSSDior Addict Gloss. They are lovely to wear and give your lips an amazing mirror shine! And again, I'm in love with their packaging too.
I am wearing one of them in a very dramatic shade in this look Halloween Queen

BROW PRODUCT
To be really honest, I'm not a big fan of brows :-/
I mean, even after Cara Delevingne's brows have taken the world by storm, I'm still not sure :-/
Anastasia Beverly Hills please cover your ears, but like, if I had to choose between a statement brow or a bleached brow, I would go for the bleached brow. Such a visionary, ethereal look!

BUT - Anastasia Beverly Hills, if you ever read this, please it would be my dream to have my eyebrows done by you, so if you have a spot for me in your Beverly Hills salon I will be beyond honored to come over!! ^_^

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Haha I had so much fun creating this look, I even put a bunch of rollers in my hair for the occasion!! :-D

I have already posted this look on my Instagram @mjintheskywithglitter, but here I would like to share the products I have used!
I know that this time I have mostly used high-end products, but if you ask me in a comment I will be more than happy to suggest some inexpensive alternatives :-)L'Oreal Lumi Magique (True Match Lumi) foundation in DW3 Gold Linen, applied with my Real Techniques stippling brush

Mac Pro Longwear concealer in NC30 on my face where needed

Clinique Line Smoothing concealer in 02 Light on my undereye area

Inglot AMC Face and Body Illuminator in shade 63, a pinky gold, all over my cheeks. This is my favourite liquid highlighter!

Diorshow Fusion Mono eyeshadow in 881 Hypnotique as a base. It is a cream product and is a gorgeous grey-ish purple infused with green and pink microglitter. On the eyes you won't see any glitter, it is so fine that it will only give a fantastic overall sheen :-)

Chanel Les 4 Ombres palette in 08 Vanites. See how beautiful this palette is?? All 4 shades are shimmery, and for this look I used all of them!!
I used the lilac (bottom left) all over my eyelid. I defined my crease and my lower lashline with the golden burgundy (bottom right). I darkened and smoked out my outer corner with the purple (top left). I highlighted my inner corner with the pearly pink (top right).

YSL Rouge Volupté lipstick 8, an intense baby pink, on the outer part of my lips

YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick 22, a bright baby pink with a subtle pearlescence to it,in the centre of my lips to create the illusion of fuller lips

Kiko Nail Lacquer shade 314, the perfect orchid shade that is all the rage at the moment!
I hope you enjoyed it this look as much as I did creating it!!
If you would like to see other "themed" make up looks you can check out My Bloody Valentine and My New Year's Eve make up

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Last summer I posted on my Instagram @mjintheskywithglitter this look created around beautiful Impassioned, and more recently I wrote here a post about dupes for Mac lipsticks, which included Impassioned too.

But today when I read lovely Anoushka's post from Anoushka Loves about Impassioned, I realized I had never actually written an entire post about it :-O
Such a stunning and unique shade surely deserves one, so here we go!

Impassioned is the most unique and bright neon coral-y fuchsia with blinding side effects.
Seriously, SO bright that you won't believe it unless you've tried it on.

It has an Amplified finish and a creamy texture. It is part of the permanent range.